Heat exchanger core layer

Abstract

A pin for a core layer of a heat exchanger, the pin being an additively manufactured pin having a sinusoidal shape between an upper and a lower sheet.

1 . A pin for a core layer of a heat exchanger, the pin being an additively manufactured pin having a sinusoidal shape between a first end of the pin and a second end of the pin. 
     
     
         2 . The pin of  claim 1 , wherein the pin defines at least one further curve between the first end of the pin and the second end of the pin. 
     
     
         3 . The pin of  claim 2 , wherein the pin has a cross-section that tapers from an inlet side of the pin to an outlet side of the pin. 
     
     
         4 . The pin of  claim 3 , wherein the cross-section is a rounded triangular shape. 
     
     
         5 . A layer for a heat exchanger, the layer comprising:
 an inlet;   an outlet;   an upper sheet;   a lower sheet;   a fluid flowpath defined between the upper sheet and lower sheet and from the inlet to the outlet; and   at least one pin disposed in the flowpath and connecting the upper sheet to the lower sheet;   wherein the at least one pin is an additively manufactured pin that defines a substantially sinusoidal shape by extruded cross-section along a sine wave path between the upper sheet and the lower sheet.   
     
     
         6 . The layer of  claim 5  having a plurality of said at least one pin. 
     
     
         7 . The layer of  claim 6 , the layer defining an inflow path from the inlet, and an outflow path to the outlet, the inflow path and the outflow path being separated in the layer by a separation bar, the inflow path and the outflow path each having a plurality of said pins, the layer further comprising a plurality of turning vanes to turn the direction of flow from the inflow path by substantially 180 degrees to the outflow path. 
     
     
         8 . The layer of  claim 7 , wherein the plurality of turning vanes includes a first plurality of vanes to turn the direction of flow from the inflow path by substantially 90 degrees and a second plurality of turning vanes to turn the direction of flow by a further 90 degrees to the outflow path. 
     
     
         9 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 a first layer and second layers both formed according to  claim 5 ; and   wherein the upper sheet of the second layer is also the lower sheet of the first layer.   
     
     
         10 . The heat exchanger according to  claim 9 , wherein the number of pins disposed in the flowpath of the first layer is different from the number of pins disposed in the flowpath of the second layer. 
     
     
         11 . A method of additively manufacturing a pin for layer for a heat exchanger, the method comprising:
 additively manufacturing a pin having a sinusoidal shape wherein the cross-section of the pin is extruded along a sine wave path between the lower sheet and the upper sheet.   
     
     
         12 . A method of manufacturing a layer for a heat exchanger comprising:
 providing a first sheet and a second sheet:   additively manufacturing at least one pin according to the method of  claim 11 ; and   locating the at least one pin between the first and the second sheet such that the first end is located at the first sheet and the second end is located at the second sheet.   
     
     
         13 . A method of manufacturing a heat exchanger, the method comprising:
 manufacturing a first plurality of layers interleaved with a second plurality of layers, wherein each layer of the first and second pluralities of layers is manufactured according to the method of  claim 12 ;   manufacturing a first header fluidly connected to each of the first plurality of layers; and   manufacturing a second header fluidly connected to each of the second plurality of layers.   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein each step of additive manufacturing is performed using a metal powder bed SLM process or other additive manufacturing process, wherein a powder of the metal is one of an aluminium alloy, a titanium alloy, an austenitic nickel-chromium-based superalloy, stainless steel or copper. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein each step of additive manufacturing is performed using a metal powder bed SLM process or other additive manufacturing process, wherein a powder of the metal is one of an aluminium alloy, a titanium alloy, an austenitic nickel-chromium-based superalloy, stainless steel or copper. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein each step of additive manufacturing is performed using a metal powder bed SLM process or other additive manufacturing process, wherein a powder of the metal is one of an aluminium alloy, a titanium alloy, an austenitic nickel-chromium-based superalloy, stainless steel or copper.